Keep That Florida Humidity Under Control Inside Your Home

Florida is renowned for its high humidity, but that doesn’t mean you have to tolerate it inside your Tarpon Springs home. High indoor humidity leads to a rash of issues, like rapid mold growth, increased dust accumulation, and general discomfort. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to get it under control.

Monitor Your Home’s Relative Humidity

You can buy an inexpensive hygrometer at your local hardware or home supply store to measure relative humidity (RH). You want to keep your home’s RH between 30 and 50 percent. Above 50 percent will create the right conditions for dust mites to reproduce and create more dust, and for mold to flourish as well. Though less of an issue for Florida, an RH below 30 percent makes the air too dry, causing mucous membranes to dry out leading to irritated eyes and nasal passages, and sore throats. Dryness is bad for wood furniture, too resulting in warping or rotting.

Install a Dehumidifier

So, you’ve found that your home’s relative humidity is typically above 50 percent and your HVAC isn’t bringing it down no matter how long or often you run the air conditioning. One consideration is to install a whole-home dehumidifier to work with your HVAC system. This add-on will give your HVAC the boost it needs to pull the moisture out of the air as it filters and conditions it. Another option, if the humidity problem is concentrated on a specific room or floor of the house, is to buy a stand-alone dehumidifier unit.

Ventilate and Exhaust

If your home has been sealed well for energy efficiency, which is always a smart idea, there is a minor drawback — humidity becomes easily trapped inside your home. When you do anything that creates steam, such as showering or boiling water, make sure exhaust fans are on, and open windows to ventilate when possible. Adjustable-width ventilation screens are available for windows, which will keep out pollen and fine particles, but allow humidity and stale air to exit your home.

To learn more about how to enhance your HVAC system for improved comfort and combatting humidity, call United Air Conditioning today at 727-531-0496.